Hero, Battousai, Father
by Queen Emily the Diligent
Summary: Kenji needs to ask Kenshin for advice, but while he is about to, he reminisces about who his father is to him. small three-shot (cover by equigoyle [deviantart])
1. Chapter 1

**I had first planned this to be a one-shot, but as I came up with more ideas…well…it ended up being more than one. It probably will be three shots, one happening right after the other. And there will be a lot of flashbacks in these.**

**Well any way, I do NOT own Rurouni Kenshin, though I wish I did.**

Hero

Eighteen-year-old Himura Kenji sat on the porch of his family's dojo in deep thought. And quite honestly, he was thinking of a girl. Her name was Chiziru, and he had known her for a few years now, and well…that was the problem. He didn't know. He knew he cared deeply for her and he pretty sure she did as well, but he didn't want to express his feelings and, if rejected, lose what he had between the two of them.

_I need help, some advice,_ he finally thought. _I'm lost at what to do…I can't tell Okaa-san, she'll just start squealing and I won't get a word out of her. Maybe I can ask…_

Kenji smiled at the thought of his father. _Yes, Otou-san could definitely help in this situation._

He shook his head, chuckling to himself. He remembered his mother telling him that when he was little, he didn't like his father.

_"You would pull on his hair, your face all scrunched up, and refuse to be held by him," Kaoru had explained, acting her son's expression._

Obviously, his opinion of Kenshin had changed, for Kenji remembered much of his childhood idolizing his father. He believed it must have been triggered when he saw his father fight with Yahiko during the boy's genpuku.

_"It's time for a match, Yahiko," Kenshin said, touching his sakabato. "One match point. All right?"_

_ Yahiko looked confused._

_ Kenji smiled happily in his mother's arms, as Kaoru asked, "Yahiko, you don't remember what day it is, do you?"_

_ Yahiko stared at his foster sister/mother._

_ "It's your fifteenth birthday," she answered. "You must have heard of the tradition. In the past, samurai become adults at fifteen."_

_ Kenji watched as Yahiko's face turned to shock at the gravity of the situation, as he turned to Kenshin._

Kenji remembered his father's aura. It was strong…powerful…it had almost sent fear into his young bones, but Kenshin's next words had assured him and Yahiko.

_"Don't worry. _

"_From the time you first chose the path of swords, remember all the battles you have been in…The battles you have seen…the battles you have seen…the battles you have fought._

"_Remember all that you have felt in these battles. Put it in a sword strike and unleash it."_

_Yahiko's face filled with determination and set his feet and bokken. "All right!"_

_Kenshin smiled approvingly. "That's good." Without taking his eyes off of Yahiko, he called to his wife. "Kaoru-dono."_

_Kenji looked at the two before him and his mother and felt Kaoru raise her arm to start the signal._

_A moment passed as the two stared at each other…_

"_BEGIN!" Kaoru dropped her arm, and Kenji watched as the two flew at each other._

_It was over in seconds, but little Kenji's eyes were wide. His father had beaten Yahiko!_

Kenji smiled to himself. Yahiko had always been invincible to him, but when he had seen Kenshin fight him…This was a side of his father that he had never known existed. _That's when everything changed._

"_Tou-san! Tou-san!" eight-year-old Kenji cried, running to the dojo gate to meet his father._

_Kenshin smiled down at his son. "Hi, Kenji. Were you good to your okaa-san?"_

_Kenji nodded firmly. "Hai!" Then, Kenji's face softened. "And Tou-san?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_Can you practice with me?" He held up his shinai to distinguish what he meant._

_Kenshin seemed to hesitate, but then smiled. "Hai. We need to work hard if you want the sakabato from Yahiko, that we do."_

"_Uh-huh!" Kenji agreed. _

Kenji's mind moved to another memory.

"_Yahiko-nii!" Kenji ran up to the young man, who was practicing in the dojo._

_Yahiko sighed a bit, slightly frustrated at being interrupted, but if he ignored Kenji, Kaoru would smack him. "What is it, Kenji?"_

"_Tell me about, Tou-san! Tell me about his swordstyle! The one that Hiko-oji taught him!"_

_Yahiko sometimes wondered how in the world Hiko was considered Kenji's grandfather, considering his attitude. But, to everyone's surprise, Hiko had spoiled the boy furiously. He was pulled out his thoughts, as Kenji began tugging on his gi for an answer._

"_All right, all right. Here, sit down." Yahiko sat on the dojo floor, and Kenji did the same, looking up expectedly at him._

First time he's actually paying attention, _thought Yahiko ruefully. _

_Kenji listened with enthusiasm as Yahiko told short stories of his father's feats. _

_That's how I mastered the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, _Kenji thought. _I listened to so many stories, I learned his style. In a way, I hurt Otou-san by learning it, but I wanted to. I never understood why he wouldn't teach me it._

_He was…_

_My hero._

**There we go! First chapter. I realized later this kind of like the Reflection OVA, when Kaoru remembers. Oh well. But I hoped you enjoyed it. **

**It's just something I needed to write to show that the Reflection OVA is NOT what happens.**

**Upcoming: **_**The Battousai**_


	2. Chapter 2

**All right second part is coming now! More of Kenji's reflections!**

**I don't own Rurouni Kenshin**

Battousai

Kenji pulled himself out of his thoughts and stood up. He turned in direction to the kitchen, where he knew he would find his father. He stopped at the kitchen door quietly to observe Kenshin for a moment.

Kenshin was currently working on cutting the vegetables for miso soup, his hands working deftly and smoothly. Even though cooking was considered the woman's job, Kenji couldn't blame his father for cooking. He felt like throwing up whenever his mother cooked.

A slight sad smile rose to Kenji's lips. It was so ironic that the same, slender hands that now cut vegetables had one time used a sword to kill people. Kenji remembered when his father had told him everything. _My hero of a father fell from his pedestal._

_ "Kenji."_

_ Ten-year-old Kenji looked from his katas to see his father and mother standing on the porch of the dojo. "Hai, Otou-san?"_

_ Kaoru looked up at her husband, concern filling her eyes, seeing his inner turmoil. It was the moment he had been dreading since Kenji had been born, but they both decided it was time. _Kenji sees his father as his hero, _Kaoru thought. _What will he think of Kenshin now?

_"I need to talk to you for a moment, that I do," Kenshin finally said._

_ "I'll be in kitchen," said Kaoru quickly, giving Kenshin's hand a squeeze before leaving._

_ Kenji noticed the look in his mother's eyes and his eyes followed his mother's disappearing figure. "Tou-san, is something wrong with Okaa-san?"_

_ Kenshin shook his head. "No, it actually has to do with this one, that it does." Kenshin paused._

_ "Otou-san?" Kenji looked up worriedly at his father._

_ Kenshin smiled his famous rurouni smile. "Come, we going to go to the river."_

_ Kenji walked alongside his father, knowing something was up. He kept quiet; it seemed that Kenshin needed to think about something. They arrived at the usual spot, and father and son sat down._

_ Kenji waited patiently for his father to speak, staring at the water rippling softly._

_ "Did you know this is where I left your mother crying once?"_

_ His father's voice was pained, and Kenji was struck by the odd question. "What do you mean, Otou-san? What do you mean you left, Okaa-san?"_

_ "It was before you were born, before we were even married," Kenshin explained. He swallowed. "I had agreed to fight for the government as an assassin once more."_

_ Kenji's eyes widened. "An…assassin? But I don't understand what does that have to do with you leaving Okaa-san?"_

_ "I feared I would return to the man I once was, long before I met your mother. I feared I would bring harm to her and everyone else at the dojo," Kenshin explained. He shut his eyes and bowed his head as if in pain. "Kenji, listen carefully to what I am about to say next…I was afraid I would become…what I once called…Hitokiri…Battousai."_

_ Kenji stared at his father's face pained face in utter, complete shock._

_ "Hai, Kenji, I was the Battousai."_

_ Kenji finally opened his mouth and began to protest. "But you can't! You can't be, Tou-san! How can you be? You're not a killer!"_

_ "But I was, Kenji." Kenji watched as Kenshin's eyes began to fill with tears. "I killed so many people, that I felt that the blood of my targets would swallow me up and drag me to hell."_

_ "Otou-san."_

_ "You need to know not just that, but everything. My past and how I became the Battousai, how I met Hiko-oji, how I met my first wife…" Kenshin trailed off_

_ Kenji felt new shock filling him, slight jealousy for his mother rising within him. "You were married before Okaa-san?"_

_ "Hai. But let me start at the beginning. It will be easier." Kenshin swallowed and began his tale from his parents death, to Hiko's training, to the war, to Tomoe, the cause of his becoming of rurouni._

He killed her,_ thought Kenji. _He killed Tomoe. And that's why he has the cross-shaped scar.

"_I promised Tomoe I would never kill again," Kenshin explained to his son, tears in his eyes while remembering. He then proceeded to explain how he met Kaoru and everyone else. Then he explained about Shishio and learning the ougi from Hiko. And lastly, he told Kenji of Enishi's Jinchuu._

Kenji remembered Kenshin's sobs as he told him where he found the fake body of Kaoru, his mother, dead.

"_It had been all because of me, Kenji," his father sobbed. "I had always put your mother in danger by coming to stay and live with her, and I always feared someday she really would get hurt. And that day, seeing her there, Enishi's sword in her chest and the same scar dragged on her face, my fears were put to reality." Kenshin paused, and Kenji waited for him to gather his emotions. "I lost the will to live and went to the Fallen Village."_

_Kenji gasped, but didn't say anything._

"_Everyone tried to bring me out, but I sat there in misery for over two weeks." Kenshin explained how it was only until Yahiko's life was in danger and until he had found his answer could he stand again._

"_What was your answer, Otou-san?"_

_Kenshin finally smiled and answered, "That I will fight to keep the smile on everyone's face as long as I can hold a sword."_

_Kenji's eyes lit up at the determination in his father's eyes._

"Kenji, is there that you need, do you?"

Kenji looked up from his thoughts to see his father looking at him questioningly.

"Hai, Otou-san," Kenji answered. He paused and looked around sheepishly. "I was wondering if I could ask some advice from you."

Kenshin smiled. "Of course. Let me clean up and I'll be right with you."

Kenji nodded and left the kitchen. Yes, it didn't matter if his father had done all of that he regretted. It didn't matter to Kenji that his father had been…

…the Battousai.

**All right second one done. All thanks to those who reviewed the last one. Thank you! The third and last will be up soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Final part to this little story. I can't believe how many hits I've had for this story. THANK YOU, LORD! Yes, He deserves all the credit, because I couldn't write without the gift He gave me.**

**And talking about not owning things (smile) I don't own RK.**

Father

Kenshin dropped what he was doing in the kitchen and walked out to the porch to where Kenji had gone to wait. He sat down beside his son, who he knew was worried about something, considering his ki.

"You wanted to ask me something, Kenji?"

Kenji looked up at his father from deep thought. "I…I wanted to ask you how you told Okaa-san you…loved her."

Kenshin's eyebrows rose, surprised at the question. But then he saw his son's cheeks blushing slightly, and he smiled knowingly. "I'm guessing a girl holds your affections, am I right?" Kenshin knew exactly which girl held his son's heart. Kaoru had been gossiping about the two of them ever since they met.

Kenji ducked his head to hide that his face was flushing as bright as his father's and his own hair. "Hai," he squeaked. He flushed even more at the sound of his voice if it was possible, and Kenshin laughed.

To cover up his flustering, Kenji quickly said, "I just want to know how you felt. I…I'm (swallow) scared she'll reject me and in doing so ruin what we have now. I'd rather keep her friendship then have her reject me and have nothing."

Smiling again, Kenshin looked up at the sky and admitted, "I had similar thoughts when I met your mother, that I did, but it took something drastic for me to move on my feelings."

Kenji watched his father's face as it constricted at the painful memory. "You mean when Enishi kidnapped Okaa-san."

Kenshin nodded. "I had always thought I would taint her with my past or something would happen to her if I got too close." He shook his head. "In the end, it didn't matter how close she was to me. She almost got killed because of me, that she did." But then his face lit up. "It was when I found out she was alive, I promised myself to make her mine. She might be in danger, but I knew I would be there to protect her if something did happen."

Kenshin looked at Kenji, who was surprised to see a smile and his father's eyes bright with laughter. "Do you know what your mother's first reaction when I asked her to marry me?"

With a blank stare from Kenji, Kenshin continued, chuckling.

"She hit me, that she did."

_Kenshin took a deep breath and approached Kaoru, who practicing her kata in dojo. _

"_Hello, Kenshin," she said when she noticed him. "Is there something you need?"_

_Kenshin swallowed and looked everywhere except at her eyes. "This one wonders if you could join him for a walk tonight, that he does." Kenshin gathered his courage and looked at her face, and to his delight found a smile._

"_Hai," she said softly and blushing._

_That night, Kenshin fingered the ring that lay in his gi sleeve, as he led Kaoru to the place where he had said good-bye to her and where she had welcomed him home. _

_Kenshin could notice Kaoru was getting nervous, and he wanted to stifle her worries immediately. _She thinks I'm going to leave again.

"_Kaoru-dono, last time we were here you welcomed this one home, that you did." He smiled at her. "I told you later that was the first time I said I was home, but I forgot one thing, that I did."_

"_What was that, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked softly._

_Kenshin took a deep breath and said, "I was home then because I was with you, that I was, and I hope to always be." He paused and reached into his sleeve to pull out the ring. "Kaoru," leaving off the honorific, "will you marry me?"_

_Kaoru stared in shock and Kenshin for a moment thought she was refusing when she pulled out her bokken from nowhere and hit him on the head!_

"Oro?" Kenji slapped his mouth, shocked at the word that came from his mouth.

Kenshin stared at his son, who muttered, "Thanks to you it slips out sometimes." Again, Kenji changed the subject to cover. "But Okaa-san HIT YOU? I don't want Chiziru to do the same thing to me!"

"Then don't do what I did," Kenshin advised. "I took too long."

"_What took you so long, you BAKA?" cried Kaoru, holding out her bokken to a swirly-eyed Kenshin, who lay on the ground oro-ing._

_Kenshin smiled sheepishly up her from the ground. "Is that a yes?"_

_Kaoru's lip began to tremble at an unsuccessful effort to stop tears. "Of course, Kenshin no baka!" she said, throwing her arms around him, and he slipped the ring onto her finger._

"Sometimes the one you love is waiting for you to move and will get frustrated if you don't do anything, that she will," Kenshin told his son. "Don't wait, Kenji."

"Is this conversation what I think it is?"

The two redheads jumped to see Kaoru smiling deviously at them and seeing their blushing faces, cried, "I was right!" She ran to Kenji and hugged him tight. "You're going to tell Chiziru, aren't you?"

"Okaa-san!" Kenji protested, trying to struggle out of his mother's grasp.

"Koshii," Kenshin began, trying to help his son's predicament, but his wife turned to him, a glare on her face.

"Why did you tell me you were talking about this, Kenshin?"

"Oro, Kaoru-dono…"

Kaoru sighed frustrated. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

Kenshin oro-ed again, and Kenji watched his parents antics with a smile. Yes, he might have thought his father as his idol only to find out that he was Hitokiri Battousai, but that didn't matter. Kenshin would forever be no matter who he had been…

…his father.

**I'm done. Yes, and I am crying. At my own story! How pathetic is that? But I don't care. I my opinion this what Kenji and Kenshin's relationship should have been and I'm very happy it came out the way I wanted to. **

**And about Kenshin's proposal, I couldn't see Kaoru and Kenshin getting all romantic. Both are extremely shy in THAT area, and considering Kaoru's personality I really think she would have hit him. It just made sense.**

**Well, see ya next time! God bless!**


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